The invention is directed to a lancet wheel having the features specified in the preamble of claim 1, as is known from EP 1 360 934 A1. Lancet wheels of this type are required, for example, for lancing systems, which are used by diabetics to obtain bodily fluid samples for determining the glucose content.
The lancets of the lancet wheel known from EP 1 360 934 A1 are connected to a carrier via webs fastened on both sides to the lancet body and are oriented in the peripheral direction. To raise the lancets into their usage position, the webs are twisted. Before the raising, the lancets are in the plane of the lancet wheel, so that the lancet tips are protected and the lancet wheel may be handled well in particular upon insertion into a lancing device.
This is an important advantage over the lancet wheels known from WO 2005/118690, in which lancets are moved within the plane of the lancet wheel for use by a toggle lever, so that the danger exists that injury will occur on a lancet tip during handling of such a lancet wheel.
The lancet wheel known from EP 1 360 934 A1 contains lancets in which an electrochemical sensor for measuring an analyte concentration is integrated. The lancets have a lancet body made of a substrate, on which a metal film is applied to form an electrode surface. The lancet body carries a reaction zone having detection chemicals, which is covered by a further substrate plate, which is also metal plated to form the second electrode surface. These lancets are embedded in plastic bodies, which are each connected via two metal webs to plastic rings of the lancet wheel.
However, a lancing system having the lancet wheels known from EP 1 360 934 A1 has the disadvantage of relatively high costs.